Yesterday morning, Delaware's budget-writing committee passed a record-breaking increase for I/DD services in the state's budget for a single fiscal year -- $17,225,400.00.

With the enhanced federal Medicaid matching funds that are available due to the pandemic, our calculations show that the total increase for the DSP rate system for fiscal year 2022, with state and federal funds combined, will be $47,714,358.00.

This funding will take the DSP rate system to 85% of the benchmark and will move the reimbursement to providers for each hour of Direct Support Professional services from $9.62 to $12.00 / hour (the "benchmark" refers to funding recommendations made in a 2019 rate study, required by the McNesby Act in 2018).

Thanks to Sen. Laura Sturgeon and Rep. Kevin Hensley, the initial motion for a funding increase that was made on Tuesday was tabled. That gave the Controller General the time to correct an error that was made in the calculation of the funding needed to reach the 85% benchmark in the initial motion, so that the full Committee was able to vote for a revised motion approving the $17.225 million appropriation on Wednesday. 

And thanks to everyone who signed this petition - your collective voice was heard!

https://www.delawarepublic.org/post/joint-finance-committee-quickly-wraps-budget-mark